Washington (CNN) – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has repeatedly and dramatically said that he will not be seeking the GOP nomination for the 2012 presidential election, but said last week that if he were to run, he's confident he would win.

"I already know I could win. That's not the issue. The issue is not me sitting here and saying, 'Geez, it might be too hard. I don't think I can win.' I see the opportunity both at the primary level and at the general election level," Christie said during an interview with the National Review last week.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) – Newt Gingrich's political team scrambled to clarify the former House Speaker's presidential intentions late Tuesday after multiple news organizations reported that Gingrich plans to announce the formation a presidential exploratory committee during a trip to Georgia on Thursday.

Throughout the day, Republicans familiar with Gingrich's plans told numerous media outlets, including CNN, that Gingrich will enter a presidential exploratory phase during a trip to Atlanta on Thursday, when he is slated to meet with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) – It’s an old-time newspaper war with a modern twist, as the controversy surrounding the dismissal of a high-profile House aide brought the simmering bad blood between two media powerhouses to a boiling point.

The literal war of words pits the New York Times, one of the nation’s oldest established newspapers, against Politico, a take-no-prisoners new media upstart seeking to turn the journalism world on its head, compounded further by the increasingly quick and complicated world of electronic communications.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - An old standard is being reintroduced in cafeterias throughout the Capitol: Styrofoam cups.

A little over a month after taking control of the House, Republicans have changed a pivotal element of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's "Green the Capitol" initiative. Since 2007, non-recyclable, Styrofoam cups were replaced with environmentally friendly biodegradable cups.FULL POST

The number-two House Democrat, Steny Hoyer, made the case Tuesday that Republicans have no right to criticize Wisconsin Democratic state senators for fleeing the state capitol to avoid voting on a budget bill, because Republican efforts to block bills from votes in the U.S. Senate amount to the same thing.

The Wisconsin Democrats "don't want something coming to the floor unless they can fully participate and not be rolled," Hoyer said. "Thirty- eight, 39, 40, 41 Republicans did that consistently over the last four years in the United States Senate. Now, they were here, but they said we would not vote to bring measures to the floor of the United States Senate. I see no substantive difference."

Washington (CNN) – White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley quietly expanded the Obama administration's outreach to the business community on Tuesday by appearing via videoconference at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's board meeting in Florida.

Daley's remarks on President Obama's efforts to create jobs and tout his competitiveness agenda came as another top White House aide, senior adviser David Plouffe, delivered closed-door remarks in Washington to the executive council of the AFL-CIO.

Washington (CNN) – Now that Newt Gingrich has formed a presidential committee, should he still be employed by Fox News? Can he be?

ABC News broke the story Tuesday morning and multiple news organizations, including CNN and Fox News, followed not long after, reporting Gingrich was set to announce he is forming a presidential exploratory committee later in the week – the first step in what is most likely a bid for the White House.FULL POST

(CNN) - Sarah Palin is "appalled" by the Obama administration's recent action regarding the Defense of Marriage Act. In a statement provided to the blog run by the National Organization for Marriage, the former governor explained her reaction to the administration's stance on DOMA.

In response to a question posed by Maggie Gallagher, the chairman of the National Organization for Marriage, the former governor of Alaska said, "I have always believed that marriage is between one man and one woman. Like the majority of Americans, I support the Defense of Marriage Act and find it appalling that the Obama administration decided not to defend this federal law which was enacted with broad bipartisan support and signed into law by a Democrat president."FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Three Republicans seriously considering 2012 presidential bids are heading to Florida this weekend to participate in a closed-door gathering of fiscal conservatives.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour are all scheduled to speak at the Club for Growth's 2011 Winter Economic Conference in Palm Beach.FULL POST